Nightmares Are For Dreamers
by year of the fox
Summary: This series has been loved and praised, so here's another. Immediate spoilers for the rest of the series inside. The first is There Has to Be More to It (summary): We're all familiar with Seto Kaiba's set agenda, which even she couldn't change. Not that she'd ever try to. She was just a part of the wrong family. And his shield of irritation won't protect him from her sweet silence
1. All Play

**It's back and all new! Even though my life is now busier than I ever dreamed, I still like writing about these two, and I had more ideas, so this came to be. I hope you enjoy! Your reviews help fuel my writing, so yeah.**

**WARNING: SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ BEFORE OTHER FICS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

* * *

><p>"Baby, you need to be more careful," Jemmea hollered to her son. Zero sat beside her, attempting to talk to her, but her attention kept getting pulled away by the twins.<p>

The adults were sitting on a bench in an enormous playroom that was more or less an indoor playground in the Kaiba Mansion. It had slides, swings, structures, diggers, you name it. There was a loft that the kids could climb to, having the option to climb up by staggered levels, nautical netting, or a rock wall, complete with another slide for them to get down. A stream embellished with exotic fish ran under a thick sheet of glass, connecting a fountain near where the adults sat to a boat that rocked on the safe small area of water it covered. A cave lit only by tiny dazzling lights separated the boat and the loft, it just went on in the big open room. All this was to be expected, however, as their father owned the largest and most successful chain of amusement parks in the world.

Jackson was running and had fallen. He was ok, but still on his hands and knees in the moment of shock. Jemmea saw the problem. "Jackson, walk over here, please," she firmly requested.

He pulled himself up and came over to his mother, who pulled him up into her lap. "I don't know why we have shoes that lace for you, but Mommy's over them," she began, all done with the magical children's laces that never stayed tied.

At this point Artemis had slowed, turning back to see what was going on as being chased lost its fun without the second person. She watched as Jem pulled the shoes off, tossing them over her shoulders as she removed each one. After she quickly pulled the socks off, she held up her hands. "No shoes!" she said to her son, Jackson watching her. He smiled, then climbed down, running back to his twin as though playing with no shoes was the coolest thing in the world.

"You seem happy," Zero commented. "You like this mom thing, huh?"

"Who knew, right?" she replied, sitting back and crossing her arms. "You know, my whole life I was so busy focusing on what I _didn't_ want that I never really stopped to think about what I _did_ want. After meeting him, it became quite obvious to me that I wanted Seto, but I think what I always wanted was a loving family. A functioning, normal, loving family. So yeah, I am happy."

Artemis was suddenly envious of Jackson's bare feet. "I don't want to wear shoes!" she cried.

Jem sighed, having to be fair. "Ok, come here." Artemis quickly ran to her and Jem hauled her up, discarding her Mary-Janes and then pulling at her tights. "You know, Grandpa Avery dresses you very cute, but I don't know how practical it is for a four-year-old," Jem quipped. Artemis just laid back into her mother, watching and waiting. As she worked, Jem finally returned to her friend. "Sorry Zero, what were you saying?"

He had just waited a very long time, and no longer felt like he wanted to spend time on a prelude for this. He just cut to the chase. "I'm marrying Serenity."

Jem raised her eyebrows and sighed. It was good for Zero, but she still found Serenity annoying. She finished with the hosiery, pecking her daughter on the head and sliding her from her lap.

"You sure about this?" she asked as she watched her daughter run off.

"I am," he answered. "Mostly I'm telling you because I want you to be there." He turned to watch the children with her. "I would prefer it just be the two of us, but she has all her family and friends and wants them there. You're the only friend I have in my corner."

"Ugh, fine. I'll go and I'll do my best," she conceded.

"And it's not a plus one, unless you bring Mokuba. Your husband didn't allow me at his wedding so I don't see why I should allow him at mine."

"You say that as though my husband would even take a second to consider going," Jem replied dryly.

"Perfect, Serenity and her friends all hate him."

"I'm pretty sure he hated them first." She sighed. "Have you selected a date yet?"

"It's next Saturday," he answered.

"What? That's fast."

"No," he replied simply. "We've been engaged for almost a year. I didn't tell you because if you had enough time to think about it, you'd get too worked up over the social situation to go." Zero reached into his pocket and extracted her invitation, extending it to her between his fingers. She accepted it. "I'll see you then," he offered as a farewell, standing and starting to walk away.

"Zero," she called after him. He paused to look over his shoulder. Just as he had declared before her marriage, she told him, "You're an idiot." Since that was all, he just turned around and continued.

Artemis heard this and stopped, thinking this was funny, and turned to look at him. "Ha, _idiot_!" she called as he closed the door.

"No!" Jem snapped, her head whirling towards her girl. "Only I call Zero an idiot. That's a Mommy word."

"And a Daddy word," Artemis added confidently, nodding in a very know-it-all sort of way.

"'Idiot' is definitely a Daddy word," Jem uttered mostly to herself.

"Yeah, because Daddy calls Zero and idiot too, right?" Jackson piped up, seeming to think he was contributing something meaningful to the conversation.

Jem just looked at him and sighed, never hearing this from Seto, but not surprised in the least. "Your father would call Zero an idiot." She couldn't dispute it, nor could she control it. All she could do was love him. "But you don't. Now go play."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> Monsters

"Jackson, what is it?" I implored.

"Monsters- are out- to get me," he heaved hysterically before beginning to sob again.


	2. Monsters

_._

_Jemmea_

I lay partially on my back, twirling my hair in one hand as I held my book with the other. My children were tucked safely away in their beds. I laid on mine, wondering if my husband would come share it with me anytime soon.

As per usual at this hour, the light was soft and the house was still, until suddenly my door opened, catching my attention immediately. I looked, seeing my son there, his eyes big and filled with tears. I sat up quickly.

"Jackson, what is it?" I implored.

"Monsters- are out- to get me," he heaved hysterically before beginning to sob again.

This was not the first time this had happened. Both of my children had seen a slew of monsters from the game. Artemis thought they were cool, but my other child was more sensitive to them. Some terrified him.

"Oh sweetie," I comforted. "Come here."

Jackson didn't wait and scrambled, quickly in the middle of the bed. I took him into my arms. "Are they the monsters that come from Daddy's work?" I clarified.

"Mm- hm-" he choked.

"Oh, those monsters aren't out to get you, Jackson. Daddy makes all those monsters, and they all know better than to not listen to him. And your daddy would _never, ever_ let anything happen to you."

Just then, in walked Seto. He saw what was happening and paused.

"Oh look!" I rejoiced, pulling back a bit to look at my little one, though he still clung fast to me. "Daddy's here. Let's ask him."

"What is it?" Seto asked.

"Jackson is afraid that monsters are out to get him," I informed in a very what-are-you-going-to-do-about-this sort of way.

Seto looked away, rolling his eyes, and began to unbutton his suit. I guessed he was partially annoyed now that this seemed a trivial matter. He looked back.

"Jackson, monsters aren't real."

"Daddy does a good job making them look real though, huh?" I asked Jackson, looking down at him again. He nodded. He was not as hysterical, but still shook in my arms and breathed in deep, short breaths. "Jackson you need to calm down," I said, taking a more serious tone and tucking him under my chin.

Seto started to walk away, taking his coat off and tossing it onto a chair. He turned back. "Come on, Jackson. Time to go back to bed."

I looked up to my husband, feeling that was fast. I wondered if Seto thought I shouldn't be comforting him like this. He had noted before that he thought Jackson partially did this for attention.

Then I realized, "Does Daddy need some Mommy time?" I asked, speaking in childproof code.

"Yes," he said boldly.

I tilted my head. "Give him another minute," I requested.

"Fine," he replied, turning back. "When I come out, I'm taking him back," he announced before going into the bathroom to ready for bed.

I looked down at our son. "Is Daddy mad?" he asked.

"No, Daddy probably had a long day. He is _irritated,_ meaning bothered or annoyed. Can you say 'irritated?'"

"Irritated," he repeated. Jackson's tears had stopped.

"And he's not irritated with you, Daddy's just like that. You shouldn't take it personally when he's like this, meaning you shouldn't think that it is because of you."

Seto returned. "Come on," my husband shot, picking Jackson up. He held him with one arm as he whisked him away, Jackson tightly wound around him with everything he had. "I'll show you there are no monsters," he snapped as he turned.

"You won't let anything happen to me, Daddy?" I heard him ask as they left.

"No," he said fiercely.

I smiled faintly at this. With their disappearance, I turned my eyes back to the room. I saw Seto's suit jacket still out. I rose from bed, going to put it where it belonged. I took my time, and Seto returned before I made it back to the bed.

"Rough day?" I asked, gradually approaching him.

"I had meetings all day today. _All day._ My secretary left me no time to do actual work. They were all idiots and wasted practically my whole day. And now I need to find a new secretary." Within a couple steps, I reached him, and he was done with his explanation. He wanted his turn. Quickly he bent to kiss my neck, then chest, before lifting me to bring me to the bed.

He dropped me to my back, then went in, again burying himself in me. But he sensed my unintentional withdrawal. He drew back, a hand resting on the bed on either side of me.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Jackson..." I confessed.

He was again annoyed. "It's a phase. He'll get over it."

I shrugged, looking away. "He's scared. I don't want my baby to be scared..." I looked back. I wasn't sure what to do and was having trouble with it.

This seemed to take the edge off and he hesitated. Finally, he assured, "I'll take care of it."

I trusted him, allowing myself to move on. "Ok," I replied, reaching up to grab his collar and pull him to me.

* * *

><p><em>Seto<em>

"Through here," I instructed, leading the twins through my building. I had never taken them to the testing floors before and they were getting distracted, their curiosity leading them all over the place in my orbit. When the doors opened for me and I started to turn, however, Artemis reached up and grabbed my hand. I glanced down to see her happily walking with me. Jackson didn't notice and ran straight ahead of us, jumping and landing to come to a stop before he spun around to see where we were.

It was the same space where I tested all my holograms and had also tested the Obelisk card. I told Mokuba to meet me, and he stood, only just arriving himself.

"Hey, bro," he greeted casually. It was early in the morning as I wanted to get this over with; the concern in my wife's eyes a couple of days ago had forced me to deal with it—I found her only too compelling. Mokuba usually came in a bit later than me, and took a sip of his morning coffee aiding him through this early start.

"Uncle Mokie!" the twins rejoiced, running to him to grab his legs. They jostled him as they got a grip, and he teetered for a moment before again grounding himself. Coincidentally, my children's inability to say his name at a young age brought about Mokie, the same nickname I had given him when we were kids. They released him, then went to go run about the open space.

I knelt, setting and opening the briefcase I brought. I retrieved my duel disk, putting it on.

"So what's happening?" Mokuba asked, lacking any details of our activity.

"Jackson has been up at night because he's afraid of the monsters from the game," I informed, still down as I adjusted the duel disk.

"Oof, that's rough," Mokuba commented before taking another sip.

"Mm." I finished adjusting it and stood. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a drive, extending it to him. "I finally had a minute to program the holograms so they would obey any command beyond their designated moves. Hopefully he can tell them to go away and we'll be done with this."

"Good thinking." Mokuba accepted the card. Before he left, he turned and hit my arm. "Now you can get some more 'mommy time,' huh?" Mokuba could occasionally joke with me about these things now that he was older, not that I joked back.

Once he left, I hollered, "Jackson, Artemis."

The two ran right over. I looked at my son. "Do any of these monsters look scary to you?" I asked him, gesturing towards my briefcase. He looked.

"That one," he said with a small voice, pointing to the Sword Stalker.

"Artemis, pick up that card," I directed, keeping her engaged. She promptly picked it up and held it in her two hands, waiting for further directions.

"Are you going to make it real, Daddy?" she asked.

"I can't make it real. It's a hologram, I only make it seem real," I stressed.

I glanced up and Mokuba gave me a thumbs up from the control booth, signaling he was ready.

I knelt again, my duel disk activating as I extended it. "Now put it on here."

Artemis obeyed, and the monster appeared on the field as I stood. Jackson ran straight to me, going behind my leg before pulling my long jacket around him to hide. I grabbed the fabric and pulled it back to expose him, annoyed.

"Jackson, go tell the monster to go away," I ordered.

Jackson kept his eyes shut, clinging to my leg and shaking his head. I turned to my other child. "Artemis, go tell that monster to do something."

She ran right up to it. "Sit down, you!" she ordered. The Sword Stalker sat down like a dog. She threw her head back and laughed, delighted.

Artemis gave a couple more commands and I felt Jackson's hold on me lessen. "Now, Artemis, walk through it to show your brother it's not real." She did this promptly, also finding this delightful as she ran back and forth through the hologram. Jackson watched intently, until suddenly, Jackson ran up. "Roll over!" he cried. The monster complied. Jackson laughed.

I called my wife.

"It's you," she answered pleasantly.

"The problem is fixed. Come get them."

* * *

><p><em>Jemmea<em>

I peeked my head in his office and saw the two, fully occupied. "Ok, time to go."

My children were slightly resistant to come to me. They were having too much fun and actually getting some time with their father, which was far rarer than time with me. A large part of me wanted to leave them so they could see him, but I knew he had work to do.

I compromised. "You have one more minute," I told them, now playing with their cards in Seto's office. I slipped in. I decided that I wanted an extra minute with my husband as well.

"I'm leaving for a meeting soon," he informed from behind his desk, never looking up. I went over to him, and he knew. He moved an arm so I could slip into his lap, turned sideways to see him as always. My arm was again around his neck and I kissed his cheek.

"Were they good?" I asked quietly.

"Mm," he answered. It was a yes. His eyes were fixed to his screen, and stayed fixed as I stared at him. All I could hear were our children's far-off voices and his keystrokes. Just like that, my minute was up. I kissed him again and withdrew.

"Ok, now we're really leaving," I instructed. "Say, 'Bye, love you, Daddy.'"

The two jumped up from the couch. "Bye!" "Love you, Daddy!"

I left the office with a twin in each hand. As we exited, we walked past Mokuba's glass office. He was in there, reclining with his feet on his desk, talking to a short man. His door was open and the two saw him. Without reservation, they cried, "Hi, Uncle Mokie!" They ran to him, then struggled to hug him through his chair.

"Hey, kiddos," he said, patting them on the back awkwardly as he was unable to hug them. "Do you remember Yugi?" Yugi, that's who it was. I realized he must be here for the wedding next weekend, probably taking the opportunity to work here and visit his home city before he returned to San Francisco.

The two shook their heads, suddenly shy now that they noticed him.

"Hey!" Yugi greeted warmly, smiling. "I haven't seen you in a long time, you've gotten big!" My twins just looked at him. "I still can't believe Kaiba has a wife and kids," he said as an aside to Mokuba.

"Nobody can," Mokuba answered.

Yugi turned back to my children. "I have presents for you," he informed. My children seemed to warm up at this. He extracted two action figures and extended them. "Jackson, this is the Dark Magician. Artemis, this is the Dark Magician Girl. They're two of my favorite monsters."

My kids accepted them, turning them over in their hands.

I wanted to leave. I called to them, "Ok, thank Yugi for his sexist gifts and let's go." Yugi glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, now suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Thank you," they said, glancing back at him.

"Time to go, come on," I called. The two ran back to me and we were on our way again.

* * *

><p>"Mommy, why do people call Daddy Kaiba? You and Uncle Mokie call him Seto," Artemis asked from the backseat of the car. I wouldn't let a hired driver take them anywhere. I would worry about their safety and Seto had concerns about his enemies, so we only allowed a few trusted people to drive our children.<p>

Jackson was listening as he kicked his car seat rhythmically. Both children held their action figures absent-mindedly.

"Because Seto is Daddy's first name. Some people call him by our last name, which is Kaiba. What's my first name?" I quizzed.

"Mea!" Jackson called, turning his head to join our conversation.

"Nuh-uh, it's _Jem_," Artemis corrected.

I saw how this could be a potential problem, especially if Seto ever found out his son thought my name was Mea.

"Don't fight, you're both right. My name is _Jemmea_," I informed, stressing the sounds.

"Now what are we going to do?" Jackson asked with his short attention span.

"I'm taking you to play with Grandpa Avery so I can write," I answered. My brother had hated how much I loved to read, always wanting me to make my own stories. Well, now I did. But they weren't fictional.

After the ordeal with Zero, I took an interest in the field. I obtained my Ph.D. and continued the work, developing a vaccine for the disease. I had named it the "Zero" vaccine. It put a lot of our minds at ease. All of it had been a big deal since we were essentially introducing a new disease to the public at the same time. A group of advisors handled the campaign, only selling it as a disease and not saying anything about vampirism.

This earned some honorary Ph.D.'s for me as well, but unfortunately this required giving speeches and some lectures. I had wanted to refuse, but my husband talked me into it. Just as he said, it wasn't so bad when I was able to discuss the science only and people weren't trying to be my friends. I talked about it, some people asked questions and I discussed it further. I was, however, also notorious for being blatant as sometimes my answer was simply, _"That's a stupid question. Next?" _I also wouldn't answer questions like, _"Why did you name it the Zero vaccine?"_ for his protection.

I preferred Dr. Kaiba, but sometimes I let Mrs. Kaiba slide because I knew Seto liked the ring of it, seeing as it referred to me as his, and I was still ok with that.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> PR

"I'm going to ask again-" I began.

"I'm sure I want to go," he cut off. I asked him the same question before every event.


	3. PR

_._

_Jemmea_

My muscles were tense as I unzipped the garment bag, wondering what bold extravagancy Avery had planned for me this time. I had been thinking aloud to my husband a while ago as I unzipped another dress, again disappointed by its vibrancy.

I recall, he had been consumed by his laptop and I assumed wasn't particularly listening to me. "_Ugh, again?_" I had said painfully when my eyes fell upon the bright turquoise. "_I need to sit down with Avery and go through these dresses. They're too bold-"_

That was when Seto had interrupted me with a bold, "_No"_ and no further explanation. I had turned to look at him. He was still so occupied I had wondered momentarily if I really heard him.

"_Why?"_ I entreated.

His response had been short and sounded like a side note, his focus still on his document. "_Because I like showing you off_."

I sighed. "_But I don't like being shown off-_" I started to complain.

"_You're fine._" At that point he had paused, turning to glance over his shoulder at me through the corner of his eye. He was annoyed. "_You knew what you were getting yourself into_." He had glared at me menacingly for another moment to make sure I was done, then turned back to his work.

I sighed after that, taking the gown off its hanger and putting it on. Silently, I had walked over, holding the front of my dress as I went to stand beside him. I stopped next to him, pulling my hair to the side, and waited silently. After a moment I felt the dress tighten as my husband zipped me into it. His eyes stayed on the screen through this, and continued to as his hands wandered around me, pulling me into his lap. He had kissed my shoulder, reading over what he had constructed on his laptop.

Now we were in a similar situation, except presently my husband was in the bathroom, getting ready for the event. I anticipated a similar disagreement, but breathed a sign of relief as I saw the dress. Tonight, Avery had spared me.

The merciful dress was still beautiful, but was pewter colored. It was modest, with a long hem and high haltered neckline, caught by a thick curved strap to create graceful pleats. It was simple, and I was grateful. And with a side zipper, I could put on myself.

Once it was fastened, I used the aid of the mirror in the hotel room to twist my hair around, happy that I was quickly satisfied with it. Finally, I grabbed my earrings, wandering to the big window to look out over New York. This was an overnight trip to honor the 30 top CEOs in the world, with Zero's wedding following in just over a week. As I slid the hooks in, I allowed the orange and pink clouds huddling around the skyscrapers to distract me from any upcoming social events.

A moment later I felt his hands creep around my waist. I smiled just before he pecked my cheek and held me to him. I hummed blissfully, then had my usual go. "I'm going to ask again-" I began.

"I'm sure I want to go," he cut off. I asked him the same question before every event. I'm not sure how much he ever _wanted_ to go, but he knew the publicity and/or PR boost it gave his company. He never asked me to smile or fake anything. My aversion to the attention, coupled with my husband's attitude towards it, made me all the more interesting to the press. Seto, however, was very careful about how much they knew, and everything was meticulously controlled from his end. He really did have everything he wanted. I felt him begin to pull away. "Come on."

* * *

><p>So far tonight I had been referred to as beautiful seven times, stunning three times, and dazzling twice. Out of them, five knew about my research, but only enough that made it clear they had briefly looked it up before they arrived to try and butter me up. It didn't work. I was still brash with them and neither my husband or I were impressed. Seto had just scared the previous couple off and we were now available for the next victim.<p>

"Why if it isn't the lovely Mrs. Kaiba." _Here we go again_. I turned toward the voice with my husband. It belonged to a skinny man with a thin mustache and sporting a pinstripe suit. "How nice to see you again. And Mr. Kaiba," he greeted.

I looked at him harder, and he still didn't seem familiar. "If we had met before, you wouldn't be calling me lovely."

"Well, I-" he began, taken aback.

"Unless," I continued, thinking aloud. "You were referring to my physical attributes, in which would be more understandable since my features are more symmetrical than most, and I have a good waist to hip ratio, and my breasts are a decent size implying that I-"

Seto looked down at me. "Stop," he demanded fiercely.

The man was clearly uncomfortable, especially as Seto turned back to him. He stared back into Seto's eyes, knowing he had entered very dangerous territory. The man was fighting every natural urge he had to double check and visually verify what I said. He swallowed hard before saying, "Nice running into you." He closed his eyes, refusing to open them again until he was turned around and knew it was safe.

Seto looked back down at me, clearly unhappy.

I looked up at him. "You know I'm a scientist."

"I know you're deflecting with science," he refuted. He turned to face me. "But those are _not_ things you talk about. You do not talk about your breasts, or your hips, or your waist, or any other of your voluptuous features unless you are having a private conversation with _me_. You are _mine_." He lifted his fist, tucking his finger under my chin so I had to look at him. "Do you understand?"

"You think I don't know I'm yours?" I answered serenely. I slid my chin from his hand, taking it in my own hands, and kissed it before bringing the hand to my chest. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just irritated." I lowered my eyes, showing my surrender. "I'm done."

"Good," he replied sharply.

Then the next one showed up. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Kaiba-" He was a large, round, and otherwise unremarkable man. Seto still turned toward him, lowering our hands.

"It's actually Dr. Kaiba," I said, irritated that he was interrupting my moment with my husband, even if I was being scolded.

"My apologies. Dr. and Mrs. Kaiba," he tried to correct.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on my husband's arm, which I had clung to dearly throughout the night. It was the only way I ever made it through such events.

"Seto, I can't anymore, can we please just leave," I pleaded painfully.

"_She's_ the doctor," Seto corrected, ignoring me. I looked up. It wasn't often that he spoke of it during business, though he did enjoy the opportunity to make anyone look like a fool. Besides, he was probably trying to deflect from my looks. "I can see why your company's ideas and policies are so outdated," he said condescendingly. He was still irritated, and had the potential to unleash a few more insults than he would have otherwise.

The man shifted a bit uncomfortably, though it was shortly revealed that it was because he had something to say to my husband that he seemed to know he shouldn't. "Don't you feel like that, ah, undermines you?" he asked, keeping me from his line of sight to make it very clear that he was addressing my husband. I turned away anyway, looking at the crowd. This man had clearly no respect for me and wouldn't invite me into the conversation as a person.

"How would that undermine me?" he countered before making it more personal for the man, clearly knowing who he was. "No, some of us are too busy making something of ourselves. We don't have time to go play around at university for a few years. Then serve twenty more years running every errand for our father until he's able to retire and feels comfortable enough to pass the company on to his son's incapable hands. I was far too successful to waste my time with any degree." I shifted around Seto's arm as he told the man off, still gazing at the other guests. Seto allowed this, placing his hand on the small of my back as I pressed myself to him. "Besides, school has done nothing but bore me. Do you really think I could tolerate keeping an empty-headed doll in my company? I understand that may be what you need to boost your self-esteem so you can get through each day. I mean, it's not like a woman like that could drag you down when you're already so close to the bottom. I'm explaining this to you, because I doubt you will ever achieve the level of success where you could understand it for yourself."

I had an idea and looked up to my husband. "Seto, are there any female CEOs here?" I asked. The man rolled his eyes.

Seto glanced over. "Yes, there," he answered, laying his eyes on a woman, laughing with a dazzling smile at the person she was conversing with.

I tugged on his arm. "Well, if we have to talk to someone, let's go talk to her. She looks much more well-adjusted than this oaf," I suggested, adding to insult.

The man heard this and turned back to me. "Why you-"

My husband's eyes flashed back to him, terrifying and cold, and cut him off. "Were you saying something?" he asked dangerously.

He immediately backed off, but was still upset. "No," he grumbled, turning away.

Seto gave him no more time and led me over to the woman. Our timing was perfect as her current partner turned away just as we approached. She took as sip of her wine, looking around before she spotted us. She smiled kindly. She had long red hair that she allowed down. She wore a pant suit instead of a gown. I wasn't sure if this was to preserve her professionalism around a bunch of condescending men or if it was simply her style. She was young, not nearly as young as Seto, but far younger than the typical CEO.

"Mr. Kaiba," she nodded, acknowledging him. Her eyes turned to me. Her mouth opened and I could tell she was about to acknowledge me, but Seto beat her to it.

"Ms. Monroe," he acknowledged in return. "Allow me to introduce my wife, Jemmea." He rarely used my real name, but did for formalities. I wondered if it had anything to do with making 'Jem' more personal to him, and 'Jemmea' less personal to Zero.

She nodded. "Nice to meet you, Jemmie. I'm Delia."

Delia had heard my name wrong over the buzz of the crowd. I corrected her, not liking more than a select few to address me as such. "It's Jemme_a_."

She leaned back a bit and nodded, almost surprised. "Oh, my apologies. I thought- well never mind. Nice to meet you, Jemmea," she remarked rather sincerely, then smiled again.

"Ms. Monroe is the head of the automotive industry," Seto informed me. I had sensed that he was less on guard around her, and I now realized why. Their companies were mutually exclusive to one another. She had no reason to be interested in Kaiba Corp. and was therefore not a threat.

I nodded. "Oh, good for you." For some reason I found this woman easier to talk to. She wasn't particularly aggressive in her conversation, but rather charming, and perhaps even a bit quiet. "I asked my husband to find a female CEO because we were talking to that chauvinist over there," I said, turning and gesturing.

She stood on her toes, leaning to see around. "Oh yeah," she replied, knowing who I meant when she spotted him. "He refuses to acknowledge me."

Another man came up alongside Seto, greeting him. This was good, as I could tell Seto was starting to get bored as he had nothing in common with Ms. Monroe and didn't need to intimidate her. Any time Seto was bored, he saw as a huge waste of his time, and that was one of the things that infuriated him the most. I could tell the man was just about to try and coax me into their conversation, so I quickly turned back to Delia.

"So, _Ms_. Monroe?" I questioned. "You're single?"

She squinted her eyes and tilted her head from side to side. "Something like that," she answered.

I continued, getting to my point. "I recently read about the dynamics of romantic relationships. The author was convinced that so many relationships today fail because men are intimidated by the modern women's success. Is that what you're finding?"

She took in a breath, thinking about how to answer my question. "I wouldn't really know. Is that a problem you have?" she asked, gesturing to Seto. It seemed I had made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was rude to ask about personal relationships. I made a note to try to remember to ask Zero about it later.

I looked up at my husband lovingly. He was still immersed in his conversation. "No," I replied, turning back down to look at her, a smile lingering on my face. "That's not to say I don't have successes, but they don't bother him in the least. Although it is pretty difficult, if not impossible, to intimidate Seto Kaiba."

I glanced back up at him again, happily reminded of his traits. Then I heard Delia again. "It seems like you really love him." I glanced back at her. "I do."

Just then, everyone's conversations were interrupted by the call from a microphone. "Dear guests, thank you for coming. I would like to invite everyone to find their seats so that we may begin our commemoration ceremony."

The redhead smiled again and offered, "It was nice to meet you," before she turned away.

I looked up to my husband as he finished his conversation. I glanced over again at the woman to see her shake her head and take a sip of her wine, seeming somewhat in perhaps disbelief.

"That's odd," I noted, my husband turning back to me and catching her as he did.

"She's thrown off," he informed, looking back down at me. "Your reputation says you're far less pleasant than you were just now. Now come on."

* * *

><p>Finally, I was back in the hotel room with my husband. "At last," I breathed, relieved to be free of everything. I dropped my clutch to the bed and went over to take my earrings out as Seto pulled out his phone. He hit a button and held it up to his ear.<p>

"Mokuba- Yeah it's over, it was fine." He glanced over at me. "Yes, she survived."

I smiled, walking past him to retrieve my clutch. I placed my hands on my husband's sides, coming around him. "Hi, Mokuba," I called before I continued.

Seto ignored all this. "How did the update meeting with the software engineers go?…Good. And the numbers reports, those are done?…Anything else worth noting?" It was very quiet for a moment and I could faintly hear Mokuba go over minute details from Seto's absence.

I opened my clutch, pushing past the emergency communicator and locator Seto designed to look like a compact, extracting my phone. 'Everything is fine here, bro,' I heard, muffled, as I checked my phone. 'Relax and spend some alone time with your wife.'

Seto hung up the phone and returned to gaze at me. I looked up, relaying the message from Avery. "The twins are asleep." I set the phone down on the bed and sat next to it, beginning to take my shoes off.

"You seem less distressed than usual," he noted, beginning to unbutton his suit.

"It was one of the less painful ones," I debriefed. "One guy did try to talk to me while you were giving your speech on the gaming and entertainment industry. But the harsh 'Shhh, my husband is speaking,' cut him off. That was a good idea."

"I told you it would work. If you show any aggression, by your association with me people will think you're more aggressive than you really are."

With my shoes off, I stood to approach him. He too was finishing removing his shoes. He saw me coming and rose to turn towards me. He welcomed me into his arms. I clung to the sleeves of his dress shirt, looking up at him.

"Do you have more work to do?" I asked calmly, slightly mesmerized as I stared up at him.

"No," he replied. "It seems like Mokuba has things under control."

"Does that mean I get you all to myself?" I asked feverishly. I glanced at the clock. "But it's only 9:30, that's so early for you."

He smirked before leaning in to kiss my neck. "Oh," he returned brazenly as he slid his hands further down my back. "I have plans to keep me plenty busy."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter:<strong> Behave

Alone in my home office, I heard my door open and close, but when I glanced up I saw nothing.


	4. Behave

**If you like it an want more, you have to tell me!**

_Seto_

Alone in my home office, I heard my door open and close, but when I glanced up I saw nothing. Then I heard the patter of feet. A moment later, my blue eyes and brown hair were peeking at me from the side of my desk. Artemis had received all of my features and a strong personality. She had a few of her mother's traits, such as Jem's rare sweet playfulness and complete devotion to me. She, however, also had my fearlessness.

"Daddy, can I play here? I'll be quiet," she declared.

"Where's Avery?" I asked, working away.

"He's playing with Jackson on the piano."

Jackson was very different from his twin. Jem saw Jude, but I saw a mixture of my wife and my brother. He had dark blue eyes like Mokuba and the darker skin, but his face was shaped more like my wife's and he had blonde hair. He was also unique when it came to his personality. He was musical like Jude, yes, and lighthearted like Mokuba, but he was also a bit of a pleaser and could be timid.

"Mm. So long as you behave," I answered briefly.

She happily accepted this, hastily dropping to the floor. Around the corner of my desk, she laid down on her belly. She had her Blue Eyes White Dragon figure and her new Dark Magician Girl that Yugi gave her.

Her voice was very quiet, but I still overheard her talking to herself. "Now, go Blue Eyes! Attack the Dark Magician Girl!" I heard the click of plastic as she clobbered one figurine with the other, gently pounding the Dark Magician Girl into the floor.

I leaned back, stealing a look at her. She was so caught up in what she was doing, she didn't even notice.

"Now your Dark Magician Girl has been sent to the graveyard. There's nothing you have that can stop my Blue Eyes!" She then disregarded the magician, turning her attention to the dragon. She began to roll to her back, watching the dragon as she made it fly. "Psssshhhhhh raaaahhhhhhh," she continued, still making quiet noises. I hardly ever smiled, but even I couldn't resist smiling at this. Proud of my adorable, feisty little girl, I went back to work.

A bit later, my wife entered, slipping her earrings in. She, of course, looked beautiful: she was mine.

"Artemis, what are you doing in here?" she entreated.

"Daddy said I could," she answered quickly in anticipation of the question, hoping Jem believed her. Jem looked at me and I didn't correct this.

"Ok," Jem said, finishing with her earring. She hastily crossed the room, coming to me. "I have to go," she informed.

Continuing to keep an eye on my work, I leaned back. As I did, I reached out, bringing a hand to slide to her waist before I finally could turn my eyes to her. I didn't always grant this, but I wanted to see her.

She wore an effortless evening gown in a deep red-violet, her hair rolled and pinned and held off to the side in a bun. "It's not like you to wear such a bold color," I commented.

Jem glanced down at her dressed then back to me, now concerned. "Does it seem bold? I asked Avery to pick something that wouldn't stand out."

"You're gorgeous, you're going to stand out no matter what you wear," I stated.

Jem's attention was caught. Our daughter had gone back to playing and Jem heard her. "Artemis, you need to be completely quiet if you want to play in here," she scolded, always concerned with me having the work environment I needed.

Artemis poked her head up over my desk at her name, but my eyes and hands were on my wife. "She's fine," I disregarded as I pulled Jem to me. Artemis took this opportunity to return to what she was doing.

I pulled Jem down into my lap, running my hands over the smooth fabric of her dress to feel her curves. Closing my eyes, I kissed her exposed neck, and then chest.

"Are you sure you need Mokuba today?" she fretted, starting to think too much about the wedding.

"Yes," I answered. "But you wouldn't want him to come, anyway. He interacts and engages with those dorks."

"Oh," she sighed, defeated. "Well, I guess I'll need some luck then."

She now turned to me, gracing my lips with hers. She kissed me over and over. I know she liked it, but I wondered if she was also procrastinating too. I pulled away to see her eyes still closed. She hummed blissfully before opening them. "I have to go," she repeated.

"Then do it," I told her. It was almost a challenge.

She sighed again, then rose. I let her slip through my hands. On her way out, she lowered herself and pecked Artemis' head before she took our daughter's face in her hands. "You're going to be good for Daddy?" she reminded.

"Yes, Mommy," Artemis replied obediently.

"Good," she praised. She gathered Artemis to her, closing her eyes as she kissed her again. Jem lingered for a moment, content. I could tell as she rocked her a bit that she would rather stay there with her child then go, but she knew she had to. She opened her eyes and released Artemis, looking at her adoringly as she pulled away. She arose and went to the door. Before it closed, she added, "I love you both."

* * *

><p><em>Jemmea<em>

Zero began to tie his tie, but was fumbling with it. "Could you help me with this?" he asked. I went over to help.

"Are you nervous?" I asked Zero as I fixed his tie. I was alone in a room with him, helping him get ready.

"A little," he confessed, looking at me. "Do you still do this for your husband?"

"Mmhm," I answered happily as I finished, rather quick at it now. "Now you can have that too. Unless you don't want to. It's not too late, you know."

"No, I want to," he corrected firmly. "I love Serenity. She's... She's everything I've ever dreamed of..."

"That's good, say that," I noted. I picked up the boutonniere, starting to attempt to fasten it. This was not as easy. "What the hell is this?" I said, starting to get a little frustrated. "Do you need this? It's a stupid fucking flower. Seto didn't have a dumb flower when we got married."

"It's Serenity's favorite," Zero said.

"That doesn't make it any less stupid," I retorted.

"I can see why you didn't do well in charm school," he noted.

"I was expelled from finishing school," I informed. "Turns out I'm not charming."

Just then, Joey came in. I continued to get flustered with the flower, which became a good excuse to ignore him. Except he addressed me directly.

"Heyyy, Jem. I haven't seen ya in a while. How've ya been?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I answered, finally getting the damn thing pinned.

"I heard you have kids now. I still think it's weird, Kaiba havin' kids n' all. I can't imagine what they must be like."

I whirled around. "Did you just call my babies weird?" I accused.

"Wha-? No-"

"You understand how extremely powerful my husband is, right? And how much he already hates you? How _dare_ you?" I shot. I turned, getting my phone and going for my contacts. "I'm telling him," I announced.

Zero quickly grabbed my phone before I could put the call through, tossing it out of my reach. "No, you're not. He didn't call your children weird, Mea. You're looking for excuses."

I opened my mouth.

"No. My wedding my rules," he warned, keeping me in check, then turned to Joey.

"Hey, Z. I just wanted to come and give ya da whole big broda 'if you break my sister's heart den I'll come after you' speech for formalities. Really though, Z, you seem like a good guy and I wanted to welcome ya ta da family." Joey extended his hand and Zero reluctantly took it. "Ya betta make her happy, man."

"I plan on it," Zero replied seriously. They shook on it.

"Are you done?" I implored.

They let go and Joey turned to me. "You know I can really see now why you're Mrs. Kaiba-"

"_Dr_. Kaiba," I corrected. "And no, you have no idea."

"Well, excuse me," he said, turning. "I'll see ya out dere," he offered to Zero as a farewell.

I looked at the boutonniere to see that it was quite crooked, regretfully tasking myself with it again. Once it seemed safe that Joey was gone, Zero uttered, "That accent is about as dimwitted as he is," not really to me. I thought it was hilarious, not expecting it. I laughed, hard, covering my mouth. "What? It's not really that funny."

I nodded. "Yes it is!" I started to calm myself, wiping away a couple tears as I caught my breath and returned to the flower. "You know I'm still unopposed to you shooting him. I won't tell anyone. In fact, I'll be your alibi if you need one."

"You know, Jemmea, sometimes I worry you're an actual sociopath."

"I would argue I'm more of a psychopath because I'm not impulsive, but I suppose if I really do think about it, sociopath fits better because I'm not quite so violent and I can empathize with people I care about. Either way, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Don't," he began just as I finished. It was perfect.

I looked up at him. "It's about that time."

* * *

><p><em>Mokuba<em>

"Are you sure about this, bro?" I asked hesitantly. "I mean, we haven't had the best of luck with the virtual world."

"It's _fine_, Mokuba," Seto replied, annoyed as expected.

"I'll take that as you already thought about it," I said apprehensively, again granting my trust to my brother.

Seto's only response was to climb in the pod. "Ok, Mokuba. Go ahead."

I looked at my brother a minute longer, pleading. He returned with a stubborn, determined glare. I sighed, then ignited the switch.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: <strong>The Sober Truth

I would have looked at the time, but it didn't matter what time it was. This ceremony would last however long it was going to last. _I'll have to thank Seto when I get home for not making our wedding long and stupid. And for not making it a fucking event with everyone we've ever met_, I thought as I watched.


End file.
